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Please note: This article was
written for those with spinal cord injuries but applies to all those in need of
protein for muscle growth and wound healing.

Let’s face it…. a discussion on
protein is not on everyone’s top of their list but it’s a subject which should
be at the forefront of our food choices. PROTEIN is a topic for us with spinal
cord injury. It’s a component we cannot live without. Tissue
healing, muscle building, and bone growth cannot occur without that important
component. A bit of protein should be consumed with each meal and high
protein, low carbs is the new name of the game.

What is Protein?

Protein is essential for life. It
plays critical roles in:

Making tissue, including muscle, skin, hair & nails

Producing enzymes, which control almost all chemical reactions in your body

Making hormones, which act as chemical messengers in your body

Making antibodies, which boost your immune system and protect your body from
infection

Converting to glucose to act as an energy source if there is an inadequate
supply of carbohydrates

Proteins are made up of building
blocks called amino acids. There are 22 different amino acids, all of which are
necessary for good health. Foods such as chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish,
eggs, nuts, seeds & legumes (beans & peas) are rich sources of protein.

This was a great statement from
WebMD: “It’s easy to understand the excitement. Protein is an important
component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to
make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important
building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood…but unlike fat and
carbohydrates, protein is not stored in the body and therefore has no reservoir
to draw on when it needs a new supply.” Whoa, stop!!! We can NOT store
protein. Our bodies do NOT store protein, therefore for wound healing, protein
must be consumed every day. Symptoms of not enough protein in the diet
include fatigue, muscle wasting, blood sugar instability, low blood pressure,
swelling due to water retention, and many others.

Protein in necessary in our daily
dietary intake but when injury occurs to our skin, more protein is needed to
aid in healing. Sometimes doubling the protein intake is necessary. How
much is actually needed on a daily basis for healthy individuals? The rule of
thumb is 56 grams per day for men and 46 grams per day for women. The
popular low-carb, high-protein diets can contain about 145 grams of protein or
more.

People with SCI have the same
protein needs as the general population unless there is a pressure sore
present. Wound healing requires a big increase in protein consumption. If you
do have a pressure sore, it is very important to get adequate protein in order
to heal. For most people it is hard to get enough protein unless they add
a couple of high-protein snacks or meals to their daily diet.

Individuals with SCI who do not have pressure ulcers need the same amount of
protein as persons without SCI: 0.8 to 1.0 grams per kg of body weight per day.

Individuals with Stage III and IV pressure ulcers: 1.5g to 2.0g of protein per
kg body weight per day.

You may ask, “How do I get the
protein?” Well, a rule of thumb is an ounce of cooked meat is about 7
grams of protein, an egg is about 7 grams of protein, and an eight-ounce cup of
milk contains about 8 grams of protein. We keep cheese sticks in my
fridge for a healthy snack and one stick contains five grams for protein.
As we have mentioned in other articles, read the labels, an ounce of peanuts
contains 7 grams of protein. If nothing else, smear two tablespoons of peanut
butter on anything because it contains 8 grams of protein. By doing the
math, it doesn’t take much to get enough protein. Discussion of consuming
a 16 oz. steak is not even needed.

In an article written by Nancy
Collins, PhD, she states “Nutrition is a critical factor in the wound healing
process, with adequate protein intake essential to the successful healing of a
wound. Patients with both chronic and acute wounds, such as postsurgical wounds
or pressure ulcers, such as bedsores that we as spinal cord injured people
easily acquire, require an increased amount of protein to ensure complete and
timely healing of their wounds.” If we have a skin breakdown, abrasion or
cut, in our lower extremity, then we increase protein until healing has
occurred. Being spinal cord injured women, our perfusion has decreased in
our lower extremities, so we use all the help we can get. As nurses, we
are very tuned into our bodies and its needs.

How would we add protein to my diet
for healing, you may ask? There are many ways but adding meat, eggs,
and/or cheese to any dish helps. You may also purchase supplemental
nutritional protein drinks, beverages, and/or bars.

As nurses and women, we are aware
that some of these articles are not the most riveting but we try to remove any
questions that may surface as a spinal cord injured person. Tuck the
information provided away for a rainy day. We could all use protein in wound
healing.

Patty Kunze has been a Registered Nurse since 1983. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing and worked several years in a Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the local Veterans Administration Medical Center as a new graduate. She has been a flight transport nurse for Neonatal Intensive Care, an assistant manager of Labor and Delivery, and an instructor of nursing students. In 2009, she was involved in an auto accident which left her paralyzed (T3-4 complete paraplegic) from chest down. But she continues her nursing career while sitting in her wheelchair as a nurse paralegal and writing articles for others with spinal cord injuries as The Rollin RN ™.

Roberta Palmer has been a Registered Nurse for 20 years. She has knowledge in Family Practice, Allery and Immunology, Special Pharmacy Medication and Counseling, and she is a RN Health Coach. In 2014, she was involved in an ATV accident which also left her paralyzed (T3-4 complete paraplegic) from chest down.